Police tape surrounds around a house Wednesday in Manchester, Ill. The bodies of five people were found ther early Wednesday. / Regina Garcia Cano, AP

by Doug Stanglin and Michael Winter, USA TODAY

by Doug Stanglin and Michael Winter, USA TODAY

The nephew of a small Illinois town's mayor killed five people, including two children, in an apartment before dawn Wednesday and died hours later after a high-speed chase and shootout with police, officials said.

The killings happened about 4:30 a.m. in Manchester, a village of 350 people, located about 85 miles north of St. Louis. Mayor Ronald Drake confirmed that the gunman, 43-year-old Rick O. Smith, was his nephew, but that he had not spoken to him in two years, the Associated Press reported.

The Chicago Tribune reported that the victims were a grandmother, a young couple and their two small children. A 6-year-old girl was seriously wounded, Illinois State Police Lt. Todd Kilby told reporters.

After shooting the others at close range, the gunman "took the 6-year-old out of the residence and put her in the hands of a neighbor," he said.

Kilby would not speculate on a possible motive or discuss any possible relationship between the victims and the gunman.

A neighbor told the Tribune that Smith had been involved in a custody dispute.

Kassidy Ralston remained hospitalized in critical condition in Springfield, Ill., the Scott County Sheriff's Department said.

The Tribune quoted a son-in-law, Brad Teeter, as saying the shooter broke into the first-floor apartment in the public housing complex and "shot everybody inside." He told the newspaper that he did not know the gunman.

"Scott County is a small community. Fortunately, this type of thing doesn't happen very often," said county state attorney's Michael Hill. "But this is proof that it can happen."

Drake lives a block from where the shooting occurred.

"Big tragedy for this town, I'll tell you," said Drake, according to WLDS radio. "I've lived here 43 years; we've never had anything like this go on."

Drake said he learned later that the suspect was a relative.

Kilby said the gunman had "multiple weapons" in his possession when he was caught about 7:30 a.m. after being wounded during a gunfight with state troopers and Winchester police. Smith, of Roodhouse, about 5 miles from Manchester, died later at a hospital.

Police said they found a rifle, a shotgun and a big knife in his car.

Schools were closed as a precaution in North Green, Winchester and Jacksonville while the gunman was at large.